58 / CYCLE WORLD
Wheels up, the RT
transforms itself into a
proper fighter jet.
wonderful on a cold morning to have heat emanating
from the netherworld into the very fundaments of your
being! Like the grips, this is adjustable with an easy-to-
access menu screen and a wobble-ring adjuster on the
left grip. The ring is also used for suspension settings and
zooming in and out on the GPS. This all sounds complicat-
ed, but even a Luddite like yours truly was able to figure
out most of these controls intuitively while on the move.
At the predictable Santa Barbara traffic slowdown, we
stopped for breakfast and fuel. And at our gas station, the
RT revealed that it can be a bit of an unwieldly lump at
waddling speeds. While maneuvering around gas pumps
or crawling up to a stop sign in traffic, it sometimes feels
like a wheelbarrow full of bricks, especially if you have a
passenger and luggage and have just filled the generous
6.6-gallon fuel tank.
BELOW: “Was it 24-karat or 18-karat gold bullion you packed?”
The best part of a rapid and capable sport-tourer is that you
can still arrive on time even with frequent necessary stops at
scenic overlooks.